Friday, June 15, 2012

Russia made some uneven progress in democratization during the
1990s, but according to many observers, this limited progress was reversed
after Vladimir Putin rose to power in 1999-2000. During this period, the
State Duma (lower legislative chamber) came to be dominated by government-approved
parties and opposition democratic parties were excluded. Putin also abolished
gubernatorial elections and established government ownership or control over
major media and industries, including the energy sector. The methods used
by the Putin government to suppress insurgency in the North Caucasus
demonstrated a low regard for the rule of law and human rights, according
to critics. Dmitriy Medvedev, Vladimir Putin’s chosen successor and long-time
protégé, was elected president in early 2008 and immediately designated Putin
as prime minister. President Medvedev continued Putin’s policies. In
August 2008, the Medvedev-Putin “tandem” directed wide-scale military
operations against Georgia and unilaterally recognized the independence of
Georgia’s separatist South Ossetia and Abkhazia, actions denounced by most of the
international community. In late 2011, Putin announced that he and Medvedev had
decided that Putin would return to the presidency and that Medvedev would
become his prime minister. At the March 2012 presidential election, Putin
was reelected by a wide margin. The day after Putin’s inauguration on May
7, 2012, the legislature confirmed Medvedev as prime minister.

Russia’s economy began to recover from the Soviet collapse in 1999, led mainly
by oil and gas exports, but the decline in oil and gas prices and other
aspects of the global economic downturn beginning in 2008 contributed to
an 8% drop in gross domestic product in 2009. Since then, rising world oil
prices have bolstered the economy. Russia continues to be challenged by an
economy highly dependent on the production of oil, gas, and other natural
resources. It is also plagued by an unreformed healthcare system and
unhealthy lifestyles; low domestic and foreign investment; and high rates
of crime, corruption, capital flight, and unemployment.

Russia’s military has been in turmoil after years of severe force reductions
and budget cuts. The armed forces now number less than 1.0 million, down
from 4.3 million Soviet troops in 1986. Troop readiness, training, morale,
and discipline have suffered, and much of the arms industry has become
antiquated. Russia’s economic growth during most of the 2000s allowed it to
increase defense spending to begin to address these problems. Stepped-up
efforts were launched in late 2007 to restructure the armed forces to
improve their quality. Opposition among some in the armed forces,
mismanagement, and corruption have appeared to slow force modernization
efforts.

After the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States sought a cooperative
relationship with Moscow and supplied almost $19 billion in aid for Russia
from FY1992 through FY2010 to encourage democracy and market reforms and
in particular to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD). U.S. aid to reduce the threat posed by WMD proliferation has
hovered around $700 million-$900 million per fiscal year, while other foreign
aid to Russia has dwindled in recent years. In the past, U.S.-Russia
tensions on issues such as NATO enlargement and proposed U.S. missile
defenses in Eastern Europe were accompanied by some cooperation between
the two countries on anti-terrorism and non-proliferation. Russia’s 2008 conflict
with Georgia, however, threatened such cooperation. The Obama Administration has worked
to “re-set” relations with Russia. The Administration has hailed the signing of
a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in April 2010, the approval of new
sanctions against Iran by Russia and other members of the U.N. Security
Council in June 2010, and cooperation in Afghanistan as signifying the “re-set”
of bilateral relations. .

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Friday, June 8, 2012

U.S.
policy toward the Central Asian states has aimed at facilitating their
cooperation with U.S. and NATO stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and
their efforts to combat terrorism; proliferation; and trafficking in arms,
drugs, and persons. Other U.S. objectives have included promoting free markets,
democratization, human rights, energy development, and the forging of East-West
and Central Asia-South Asia trade links. Such policies aim to help the
states become what various U.S. administrations have considered to be
responsible members of the international community rather than to
degenerate into xenophobic, extremist, and anti-Western regimes that contribute
to wider regional conflict and instability.

Soon after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001,
all the Central Asian “front-line” states offered over-flight and other
support for coalition anti-terrorism operations in Afghanistan.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan hosted coalition troops and provided
access to airbases. In 2003, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also endorsed
coalition military action in Iraq. About two dozen Kazakhstani troops
served in Iraq until late 2008. Uzbekistan rescinded U.S. basing rights in
2005 after the United States criticized the reported killing of civilians in
the town of Andijon. In early 2009, Kyrgyzstan ordered a U.S. base in that
country to close, allegedly because of Russian inducements and U.S.
reluctance to meet Kyrgyz requests for greatly increased lease payments.
An agreement on continued U.S. use of the Manas Transit Center was reached
in June 2009. In recent years, most of the regional states also participate in
the Northern Distribution Network for the transport of U.S. and NATO
supplies into and out of Afghanistan.

Policymakers have tailored U.S. policy in Central Asia to the varying
characteristics of these states. U.S. interests in Kazakhstan have
included securing and eliminating Soviet-era nuclear and biological
weapons materials and facilities. U.S. energy firms have invested in oil and
natural gas development in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and successive
administrations have backed diverse export routes to the West for these
resources. U.S. policy toward Kyrgyzstan has long included support for its
civil society. In Tajikistan, the United States focuses on developmental assistance
to bolster the fragile economy and address high poverty rates. U.S. relations
with Uzbekistan—the most populous state in the heart of the region—were
cool after 2005, but recently have improved.

Congress has been at the forefront in advocating increased U.S. ties with
Central Asia, and in providing backing for the region for the transit of
equipment and supplies for U.S.-led stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.
Congress has pursued these goals through hearings and legislation on
humanitarian, economic, and democratization assistance; security issues; and human
rights. During the 112th Congress, the Members may review assistance for
bolstering regional border and customs controls and other safeguards to
prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), combating
trafficking in persons and drugs, encouraging regional integration with
South Asia and Europe, advancing energy security, and countering terrorism. Support
for these goals also has been viewed as contributing to stabilization and
reconstruction operations by the United States and NATO in Afghanistan.
For several years, Congress has placed conditions on assistance to
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan because of concerns about human rights abuses
and lagging democratization. Congress will continue to consider how to balance
these varied U.S. interests in the region.

Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny
Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card.
Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred
and receive priority processing.

Russia
made some uneven progress in democratization during the 1990s, but according to
many observers, this limited progress was reversed after Vladimir Putin
rose to power in 1999-2000. During this period, the State Duma (lower
legislative chamber) came to be dominated by government-approved parties
and opposition democratic parties were excluded. Putin also abolished
gubernatorial elections and established government ownership or control over
major media and industries, including the energy sector. The methods used
by the Putin government to suppress insurgency in the North Caucasus
demonstrated a low regard for the rule of law and human rights, according
to critics. Dmitriy Medvedev, Vladimir Putin’s chosen successor and long-time
protégé, was elected president in early 2008 and immediately designated Putin
as prime minister. President Medvedev continued Putin’s policies. In
August 2008, the Medvedev-Putin “tandem” directed wide-scale military
operations against Georgia and unilaterally recognized the independence of
Georgia’s separatist South Ossetia and Abkhazia, actions denounced by most of the
international community. In late 2011, Putin announced that he and Medvedev had
decided that Putin would return to the presidency and that Medvedev would
become his prime minister. At the March 2012 presidential election, Putin
was reelected by a wide margin. The day after Putin’s inauguration on May
7, 2012, the legislature confirmed Medvedev as prime minister.

Russia’s economy began to recover from the Soviet collapse in 1999, led mainly
by oil and gas exports, but the decline in oil and gas prices and other
aspects of the global economic downturn beginning in 2008 contributed to
an 8% drop in gross domestic product in 2009. Since then, rising world oil
prices have bolstered the economy. Russia continues to be challenged by an
economy highly dependent on the production of oil, gas, and other natural
resources. It is also plagued by an unreformed healthcare system and
unhealthy lifestyles; low domestic and foreign investment; and high rates
of crime, corruption, capital flight, and unemployment.

Russia’s military has been in turmoil after years of severe force reductions
and budget cuts. The armed forces now number less than 1.0 million, down
from 4.3 million Soviet troops in 1986. Troop readiness, training, morale,
and discipline have suffered, and much of the arms industry has become
antiquated. Russia’s economic growth during most of the 2000s allowed it to
increase defense spending to begin to address these problems. Stepped-up
efforts were launched in late 2007 to restructure the armed forces to
improve their quality. Opposition among some in the armed forces,
mismanagement, and corruption have appeared to slow force modernization
efforts.

After the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States sought a cooperative
relationship with Moscow and supplied almost $19 billion in aid for Russia
from FY1992 through FY2010 to encourage democracy and market reforms and
in particular to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD). U.S. aid to reduce the threat posed by WMD proliferation has
hovered around $700 million-$900 million per fiscal year, while other foreign
aid to Russia has dwindled in recent years. In the past, U.S.-Russia
tensions on issues such as NATO enlargement and proposed U.S. missile
defenses in Eastern Europe were accompanied by some cooperation between
the two countries on anti-terrorism and non-proliferation. Russia’s 2008 conflict
with Georgia, however, threatened such cooperation. The Obama Administration
has worked to “re-set” relations with Russia. The Administration has
hailed the signing of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in April 2010,
the approval of new sanctions against Iran by Russia and other members of
the U.N. Security Council in June 2010, and cooperation in Afghanistan as
signifying the “re-set” of bilateral relations.

Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny
Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card.
Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred
and receive priority processing.